By JONAS TERRADO
Poy Erram said it remains to be seen if he’ll be the missing piece TNT KaTropa needed in order to finally win a championship.
“Parang hirap din sagutin yang tanong na yan kasi unless naglaro na kami, dun pa lang malalaman,” Erram said.
But one thing Erram believes he can fill in is the things that made him become one of the league’s best centers and why KaTropa pursued the former NLEX Road Warrior in the preseason.
“Siguro makakatulong ako sa depensa,” added Erram, who won Defensive Player of the Year honors during the 2019 PBA Press Corps Award.
Erram narrowly missed a spot in the All-Defensive Team but was able to haul down 7.8 rebounds and block a league-best 2.1 shots in 33 games with the Road Warriors the previous season.
Those numbers are a welcome addition to a TNT side that has lacked an inside presence that can make them competitive against the league’s juggernauts.
Though finishing second in the league in blocks last season with a 4.6 per game average, TNT was ranked 10th in rebounding at 50.1 while allowing teams to grab 51.2 per contest.
Offensive won’t be a problem for TNT, which scored 99.1 points for fourth-best in 2019 behind perennial leader Jayson Castro, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Ray Parks Jr.
“For me, magfofocus ako sa mga little things like hustle plays at defensive rebounding kasi alam natin na we can trust each and everyone na makakascore,” said Erram, whose scoring average of 11.7 points last season with NLEX is already an added bonus for TNT.
“Kaya ako dinala dito sa team na ‘to kasi alam nila kung ano yung kaya kong gawin defensively at sa hustle plays.”
Erram will have to wait for the unknown to end before he can finally show what he can provide for TNT with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the PBA to indefinitely suspend the games.
TNT was supposed to field Erram for the first time last March 11 against Phoenix Super LPG at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, but PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial announced the decision to put the season-opening Philippine Cup on hold on the same day.
